Spring Training 2013: The WBC debate, MLB buzz and headlines

Here's a look at the major storylines and top headlines from around Major League Baseball as another week of spring training games begins:

The Big Buzz: A "Classic" dilemma

Fans cheer on Taiwan before their game against the Netherlands in their World Baseball Classic second round game at the Intercontinental Baseball Stadium in Taichung, Taiwan, Sunday, March 3, 2013. Taiwan won 8-3.(AP Photo/Wally Santana)

To play, or not to play, that is the question.

And when it comes to Major League players and the World Baseball Classic, there really is no easy answer.

Is competing for your nation worth the risk of injury and the loss of preparation time with MLB teammates? Players, torn between their obligations to country and career, come down on both sides of the debate.

All-Star third baseman David Wright, who also participated in the WBC in 2009, says he's excited to once again play for Team USA and downplays the potential impact his absence might have on the Mets' team chemistry: (via NJ.com)

"Obviously, with a bunch of new guys, you want to get to know each other, both in the clubhouse, and on the baseball field what the strengths are, the weaknesses are," a hoarse Wright said after going 1-for-3 with an RBI in his sendoff against the Tigers today. "That clubhouse camaraderie, this is where it begins. I’m definitely going to miss that. But I’m not going to miss too much in the, hopefully, two-and-a-half weeks that I’m gone."

Detroit Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander warms up during the first inning of an exhibition spring training baseball game against the New York Mets, Friday, March 1, 2013, in Port St. Lucie, Fla. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

But many MLB stars are taking a pass on the WBC, citing the physical risks of jumping into a competitive tournament so early in the spring. Tigers ace Justin Verlander declined an invitation to pitch for Team USA and said this week that he's convinced it was the right decision: (via MLive.com)

"Yeah, I am," he said. "I don't feel like I'd be able to be where I'm at right now. I feel like I'd try to rush things along a little bit more. That's not the right way to go about things."

"The one thing I worry about, and there's no way to get around it, guys are all of a sudden ratcheting up the competition level," said the Indians' manager. "Here, you can take them out, or they're not trying to make that 3-2 breaking ball with the bases loaded because they're just not ready to do it."

But the international tournament's long-term benefits in growing the game's global reach are so vast that the World Baseball Classic should be embraced rather than scorned, writes Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.com:

Here is a message for all those players, managers and GMs who view the World Baseball Classic as a nuisance: Get over yourselves, and think about your sport.

ESPN.com's Buster Olney, however, claims that the debate about the tournament isn't shaped so much by patriotism and love of the game as it is by money:

There is incredible irony in the narrative that players and teams should put aside their self-interest and participate in the WBC for the sake of growing the game. The event is a business venture, not a charity drive; it's all about self-interest, and who benefits depends entirely on your perspective.

How do fans feel about the World Baseball Classic? Watch SportsReelBoston.com's Jen Royle discuss the merits and deficiencies of the WBC:

"Generally speaking, I don’t even want a kid to look at me and say, ‘Oh, he just hit three homers in a game — he’s probably on steroids,’ÂÂ " the Yankees first baseman said. "That’s a tough thing. It’s part of our job, it’s been part of baseball for a long time, and it’s not going to go away. But we just have to know that we’re doing everything we possibly can."

"You're in the minor leagues with the Blue Jays, and you hear stories like, 'If you're not gonna make it in time for morning lift, Roy Halladay is at the gym at 5 in the morning,' " said Kratz, who was drafted by Toronto in 2002 and spent seven years in the organization. "From the big leagues down to the minor leagues with the Blue Jays, if you hadn't met him, you'd think the guy benches 1,000 pounds. His worth ethic is legendary, and it's 100 percent legit."

"I'd love to be in a World Series this year," Walter says, "but we're going to win over time. I don't want to be in the World Series this year, and never again. I want us to be a team that people are not looking forward to playing unless they want to play the best."

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